Low Temperature Physics And Chemistry

This book is for those physicists, physical chemists, metallurgists and engineers who need to carry out investigations at low temperatures. It deals with the production and measurement of low temperatures, the handling of liquefied gases on the laboratory scale, and the principles and details of the design of experimental cryostats, including the problems of heat transfer and temperature control. While covering the technical details needed by professional researchers, such as the electrical and thermal conductivities of materials used in making low temperature equipment, the book includes enough explanations of the fundamental principles that it will also be useful to advanced university students.

Tunneling reactions in chemistry are characterized by the low-temperature limit when the classical contribution is negligible. Many practical applications benefit from the lack of heat and have a deep physical basis. Interesting advantages of chemical synthesis at low temperatures have also been demonstrated. This book covers fundamental and practical aspects of the processes and experimental and theoretical methods used in the field. The chapters are written by leading scientists who have very strong experience in the selected topics, and many practical recommendations can be found in this book.

The aim of this book is to provide information about performing experi ments at low temperatures, as well as basic facts concerning the low tem perature properties of liquid and solid matter. To orient the reader, I begin with chapters on these low temperature properties. The major part of the book is then devoted to refrigeration techniques and to the physics on which they are based. Of equal importance, of course, are the definition and measurement of temperature; hence low temperature thermometry is extensively discussed in subsequent chapters. Finally, I describe a variety of design and construction techniques which have turned out to be useful over the years. The content of the book is based on the three-hour-per-week lecture course which I have given several times at the University of Bayreuth between 1983 and 1991. It should be particularly suited for advanced stu dents whose intended masters (diploma) or Ph.D. subject is experimental condensed matter physics at low temperatures. However, I believe that the book will also be of value to experienced scientists, since it describes sev eral very recent advances in experimental low temperature physics and technology, for example, new developments in nuclear refrigeration and thermometry.